Partnership (Teaching by Pastor Chris Twinn)

Being a Partner is all about being connected. There is a big difference between membership and partnership. Let me explain it like this. It is quite possible to be a member of a video store, but only go there once a year, correct? But when you are a Partner you are connected, there is a connecting and a joining that takes place. You have a vested interest in everything that happens, which is so much more than just being a member. It’s not the fact that you visit that place, it’s all about that ministry being a part of who you are and you are a part of what that ministry is. There is a connection, a joining and a communion that takes place in that. The purpose of this ministry is to bring you to the place where you fulfil the call of God on your life.

In Amos 3:3 it says: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” The word “agreed” there is the word ‘yaad’ { yaw-ad’} The expounding of that word has more to do with coming together and joining together than anything else. But know this, that even if you are unable to physically assemble with us, as you may be living on the other side of the world, there is no distance in the Spirit. When you partner with us, here at Christ Ministries International, you are joining yourself with us by the Holy Spirit and you are saying: ” Yes, I want to be a part of what Christ Ministries International is doing through out the world today.”

Christ Ministries International is a part of Jesus’ Ministry on the earth. It is not the only ministry of Jesus, it is a part of Jesus’ ministry. God commissioned us when we started this ministry.
The Holy Spirit said: “There are three things I want you to teach the body of Christ.”

These are:
1. Who they are in Christ.
2. What is available to them in Christ.
3. What they are called to do in Christ.

In short. We are who God says we are, we can have what God says we can have and we can do what God says we can do.
That’s the commission on this Ministry. When people know who they are in Christ, and they are taking hold of and receiving what God has placed in the Word for them to receive, then they will know what they are called to do. Enabling them to go into all the world and preach the gospel and bring people to Christ. All that ministry flows from these three vital revelations.

This ministry has a two fold purpose:

1. Local church; Ministry to the body of believers to teach and train them to live Godly, holy, powerful and victorious lives.
To be empowered to reach out to a lost and dying world with the Gospel.

2. Body of Christ; Ministry of the Word to anyone who wants to receive it. Ministry of prayer and partnership. Ministry to the wider body of Christ through teaching CDs, the “CMI Faith Connection” Website and “Faith Connection” radio broadcasts. As well as any other form of communication the Lord so directs.

What’s your part?
In 1 Samuel 30: 22-24 we see where David included all the men in the sharing of the spoil of the battle.
22Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart 23 But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hands the troop that came against us. 24 “For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.”

There are different parts to the Ministry. There are different parts that you have, that I have, and all these parts work together. But the same reward, as far as God is concerned, is given. David was a man after God’s own heart. He wouldn’t allow that wickedness to go on and he speaks out. It is recorded in scripture for us to see, that there is a partnership that’s involved. As is the reward of those that go into battle, so is the reward for the people standing behind them, backing them up by looking after the things behind the scenes. It’s the same reward, it’s called partnership.

Let’s have a look at Matthew 10:41-42
41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.42 “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

When you partner with a prophet you receive a prophet’s reward.
Why the same reward? Because one cannot do it without the other. God has a kingdom structure that works through partnership. Why is it the same reward? Because, as is the reward of the one who goes down into battle, so is the one that stays back with the supplies. We can’t do it apart from one another. The ministry of the teacher can’t do his teaching and the ministry of the evangelist can’t do his evangelism without all the other parts of the ministries flowing together.The church is not working unless all those ministries flow together.

What about the businessman? It’s the same thing, we’ve got to know our part. If God has called you in the area of business, then you need to know what part you have in the support of the preaching of the Gospel. If God has blessed you with some other area of expertise: you need to understand your call and understand your vocation and see where they fit together. Whatever you are doing in your vocation should be connected to your call which is then connected in partnership with this body. You may work in a supermarket, it doesn’t matter. Whatever you are doing is a part of the call of God on your life and we are partnered with you in that and we need to empower you, by the Word of God, and see the Holy Ghost flowing through you to do and fulfil the call of God on your life. It’s Partnership, it’s that Anointing . When you partner with this ministry you connect to the anointings that are upon this ministry which enable you to fulfil the call of God on your life.

“The Anointing is not a bottled commodity it flows through His people” It’s not a stagnant thing, it flows through.

When God looks at His Church he sees His plan in us perfect. He doesn’t want one part over here and another part over there. He has poured these gifts out to the body of Christ so it can become the perfect man. The different parts making up something powerful. Specifically he is talking about those offices that we need to be connected with, in the body, to see those anointings flowing through our lives so we can be effective in every area of our ministry. “To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Just meditate on that. This is His desire for us as His Body. If you try and operate in ministry apart from the covenant connection to the body of Christ, you will start to move off into arears of error. It happens every time. It is very important to be connected to flow with those anointings. There is no such thing as “Just me and Jesus.”

When we are connected to God ordained and Anointed ministry, we are connected to that same Anointing, to that same grace.

Let’s look at Philippians.

Philippians 1:1-7
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, 1 To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

The word “fellowship” used here in the Amplified version, is translated Partnership. In the Greek the word is koinonia { koy-nohn-ee’-ah} . It is translated fellowship, communion, communication, distribution, contribution and to communicate. Partnership,Communion, Communication that’s what fellowship is all about.

Now you understand, when he is writing to the Philippian church that these people stuck with Paul through thick and thin. These were the most faithful partners that Paul had in his ministry. From the beginning, right the way through. It’s no wonder he writes to them with so much affection and talks to them of the blessings that are coming their way. They have just stuck with him all the way through it. And he says it here:

“from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.”

In the King James Version it says “you all are partakers of my grace” Understand, he is not saying that you are partakers of God’s Grace. Paul is saying that you get to participate in the same grace that is on me, from God. That same anointing, that same favour, that same Divine touch that’s on Paul, he is saying is upon the Philippians. The same Grace.

Now you think about that, that’s the same thing that we just looked at. David said the same reward goes to the ones who go down into battle as for the ones that stay back and look after the supplies. The same reward, it’s the same grace that same anointing. Paul is saying that you are partakers. When you partner with a ministry you receive that same anointing that is on them, upon you. That same divine favour that is upon them is upon you.

I believe that God has called us and anointed us to change everybody and everything around us. We’ve got the message. We are the body of Christ, the Church. Paul said “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation”. We’ve got the message that will change the lives of every man, woman and child throughout the whole world. But we’ve got to flow together and we’ve got to flow under that anointing.

Our partnership is founded and held together because of Christ, The Anointed One and His Anointing. And the Anointing flows because of the cause of the Gospel.

You will have the sweetest fellowship with those whom you stand with in battle. There’s nothing sweeter than the level of trust that develops and the friendship that develops when you stand with people in the battle. When you’re prepared to stand with them and having done all, to stand, you’re still standing there believing for things for them in their lives; believing for the breakthrough. Standing there with them believing, pushing back the attacks and the whispers of the enemy over those peoples’ lives. And when the dust settles they look around and you’re still there. That’s the sweetest fellowship.

Paul makes this statement that “, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.” (vs 7) Why? Because they stuck with him while he was in chains. Time and again they supplied his needs. They sent offerings to him. People love to jump on Philippians 4:19 and quote: “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” But they forget all the partnership that had preceded that statement. And all the gifts and offerings. You see the kingdom of God is built on sowing and reaping. You cannot stand on Philippians 4:19 having never sown a seed. You’ve got to understand that when you partner with that anointed ministry, you can then receive the grace and favour that is upon that ministry. And that’s when that ministry can turn around and say to you “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches (not according to your bank balance) in glory by Christ Jesus.” It’s got everything to do with partnership.

The word “grace” here means thanks, recompense, reward and Divine favour. Paul is saying that you are partakers with me of my grace, of my thanks, of my recompense, of my reward, my payment, my Divine favour. That’s what you participate in.
In other words that same Anointing and favour that is on me is also on you because of your partnership with me. You’re connected to me, it flows. You see the Anointing of God flows. That is why the bible talks about the laying on of hands. There is a point of contact and the anointing flows. It is like an electricity that flows through. That point of contact is sometimes a person’s belief or faith. You see, if you extend your faith towards me and I extend the anointing of the Word that I am preaching towards you, that faith that you extend and that anointing will get together and you will receive revelation from God. But if you just sit and listen without extending your faith, you will not receive revelation from God. You’ve got to believe that you receive and then you will have.

Paul is explaining the fact that he needed his partners. He wasn’t putting himself up on a pedestal nor was he stating that he didn’t need anyone else. Paul was saying, without my partners I would not be able to achieve the call on my life.

Ephesians 6:18
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

Then Paul says “pray for me that I may have boldness”

2 Corinthians 10:13-15
13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us-a sphere which especially includes you.14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

Paul knew where he was supposed to be ministering. It is important for you to know your call. One reason is, obviously, so that you can do it. The second reason is so that you don’t do everything else except that one thing. There are some people doing Godly things and burning out, because God never called them to do those things. People have got off into error because they have stepped out of their calling and their anointing and have tried to step into somebody else’s. Great men and women of God, healing ministries of the past have gone off into error. It is always consistent where the error has come in. They’ve looked at someone else’s ministry and then tried to step out into that very same area of ministry. It is important that you know the call of God on your life. You’ll have the most joy when you are doing the things that God has called you to do because the anointing is there back it up. You don’t have to use your own strength. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” Why? Because when you yoke yourself with Jesus, His Anointing is empowering you and enabling you to do it. In verse 15 we see that Paul states that “as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere.” Paul was very aware of the partnership relationship between himself and his partner churches, and the joint rewards for himself and his partners. It works together. Paul was dependent upon their partnership.

NOW! WHAT’S YOUR PART IN ALL THIS?

In Nehemiah we see the people join with Nehemiah in “his grace” and they built the wall of the city. Notice how they built that part of the wall in front of their own house. They took ownership of their part of the wall, their part of the ministry. They took responsibility for their part! Their part joins with someone else’s part and we get a whole! If any one of those families had not done their part there would have been a gap. There’s no point having a great city wall that is hundreds of feet high and many feet deep, if there is a big gap in the middle. The opposing armies would just go straight through the gap. It is important that you understand your call, so that you build the part that is there right in front of you. Without you, we are missing something. Without your part this is not complete. We don’t have the picture of the perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. If you get to the end of your life and you have not fulfilled what God has called you to do; then not only will you have to stand before the Lord and give an account of your life. But it affects all those people that were supposed to receive from your ministry. When people get to heaven they want to hear Jesus say: “Well done good and faithful servant” not “Well?” They want to know that they have fulfilled what God has called them to do.

We are here to minister to you and the wider Body of Christ. If you would like to be a part of the call that God has placed on our hearts we would love to have you join with us in covenant partnership. When you partner with this ministry you serve Jesus and connect in service with those whom God has anointed. In doing so you also receive of the same anointing that is upon this ministry and you share in the reward!

THE VISION
As a ministry we are committed to see the Body of Christ taught the uncompromised Word of God.

We will use every and any form of communication that we can to achieve this.

Our goal is to be an equipping ministry, called to pray for, teach and encourage the Body of Christ to excellence, holiness and to fulfillment of their destiny in God.